Cheetah Chat
August 18, 2021
Welcome to the 2021-22 School Year!
A Warm Welcome to New Croce Families
For those of you who are new to Croce, please know that every precaution is taken to ensure the safety of your child/ren. Our campus and playground gates are locked during school hours.
At 1:30 p.m. our Kindergarten teachers dismiss students to their parents from the Kindergarten gate when the parent approaches. Students using the valet line will be walked to a safe, supervised area within the gates to wait for their ride. Students who attend CLC, ESS, or Kiddie Academy will be escorted to the gate on Mt. Hamilton Court. At no time will your child be left unattended.
Please take a positive approach to solving problems and handling stressful situations. Your child is watching your every move. To relieve any anxiety your child/ren may be feeling right now, please assure them that we are prepared to guide and support them as soon as they step on campus. We want nothing more than to create a positive experience for everyone.
Having taught early elementary students myself, I know that even our youngest Cheetahs are capable of accomplishing many tasks independently if given the opportunity to practice, fail, and practice some more!
PTA Back to School Scavenger Hunt
Use your time on campus to:
- Locate the meeting area you will use most frequently. We have 3 drop-off/pick-up areas; valet line, flagpole, and Crestmont gate. At the end of the day, students will be dismissed from their classrooms and instructed to proceed directly to their pick-up area. Our youngest students will be escorted to the same location from which they were dropped off.
- The valet staging area will be set up to allow for students within a household to stand together. Students will be grouped by last name; A-E, F-Li, Lo-Ri, and Ro-Z making it easier for our valet supervisors to locate your child/ren when you arrive.
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- If your daily routine is to walk/bike/scooter to school, please practice this. There are three entrances available to you; one on Crestmont, another at the front gates of the school and the third is along the wall on the east side of our parking lot. Upon entering campus, bikes and scooters must be walked to the bike rack. While the bike cage will be locked during the school day, it is always advisable for students to lock their bikes and scooters to the rack.
The campus gates will also be unlocked on Saturday, August 21 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., should additional practice be needed.
COVID Protocols
- While indoors, all students and staff members must wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth. Bandanas and gators are not allowed. Masks will be provided to those that need one.
- At this time, masks do not need to be worn while outdoors.
- Hand sanitizer is available in every room on campus, including the MPR and library, and at stations around campus.
- Face shields can be worn if they have cloth that can be tucked into the shirt, otherwise a face shield with a mask is fine.
Valet Line
- Parents must stay inside their cars.
- Select the shortest line and pull forward as far as possible so as not to impede the flow of the valet line.
- If your child is not able to unfasten a seat belt or open a car door, consider walking on to campus, as we need to keep the valet line moving.
- Students should enter and exit the car from the passenger side only.
- To speed up the process, clearly print your family name on a placard and display in your front window near the passenger side or on the passenger side window.
- At dismissal, students within a household will stand together in the staging area. Students will be grouped by last name; A-E, F-Li, Lo-Ri, and Ro-Z making it easier for our valet supervisors to find your child/ren.
Items to Note
- Only students and staff will be allowed on campus during drop-off and pick-up.
- CLC, ESS , and Kiddie Academy will use the Mt. Hamilton gate. Our youngest students will be escorted to this gate.
- Croce staff and yard supervisors will be stationed around campus to direct students to their classrooms.
- Students and staff must wear masks while indoors. Gators and bandanas are not allowed.
- All students will need to leave campus at dismissal. The playgrounds will not be available.
- The Crestmont gate will be unlocked and supervised from 2:50 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. Parents arriving after that time will need to enter through the school office.
- Please inform your child's classroom teacher if you allow your child to leave campus on their own.
Universal Free Lunch
"Our Child Nutrition Department is excited to share that all students, regardless of family income, can receive a daily school lunch free of charge for all instructional days in the 2021-22 school year! While a free and reduced lunch application does not apply this year, completing the Alternate Income Form can result in students qualifying for additional benefits such as Pandemic EBT, scholarships for placement exams, and discounted internet service."
Recess Before Play
There are many benefits to this type of program. Research shows:
- Improved student behavior on the playground, in the cafeteria, and the classroom.
- Students waste less food and drink more milk.
- Children are more settled and ready to learn in the afternoon.
We hope that this new schedule will promote better nutrition and student achievement for all of our students. As with all change, we expect this to be a bit 'messy' for the first few weeks while we work out the kinks. We ask that you practice patience, positivity, and kindness!